From the 1950s through the mid-70s, the great comic actor Art Carney was on a well-deserved roll. His best known role was playing Ed Norton as a Brooklyn version of Stan Laurel opposite Jackie Gleason’s Oliver Hardyesque Ralph Kramden on the sitcom The Honeymooners. He also made numerous appearances on other television shows like Studio One, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Playhouse 90. (Hell, he even played a super villain The Archer on Batman!)

In the mid-60s, Carney originated the role of Felix opposite Walter Matthau as Oscar in the Broadway production of The Odd Couple and, in the mid-70s, he gave sturdy dramatic performances in such classic films as Harry and Tonto and The Late Show.

In his book The Twilight Zone Companion, Marc Scott Zicree quoted producer Buck Houghton on the origin of the episode The Night of the Meek: “Once in a while, Rod [Serling] would have an enthusiasm. He’d say to me or to Carol [Serling’s wife] or whomever, that he particularly liked someone. There was a Christmas show we did just because he wanted to see Art Carney play Santa Claus.”

Directed by Jack Smight from Serling’s script, The Night of the Meek (originally broadcast on Dec. 23, 1960) was one of the half-dozen Twilight Zone episodes filmed on videotape to hold down the budget. As it turns out, the unreality of the indoor soundstage “exteriors” actually contributed to the story’s fantasy atmosphere.

In his opening narration, Serling introduces the main character, Henry Corwin (Carney): “This is Mr. Henry Corwin, normally unemployed, who once a year takes the lead role in the uniquely popular American institute, that of department-store Santa Claus in a road company version of The Night Before Christmas. But, in just a moment, Mr. Henry Corwin, ersatz Santa Claus, will enter a strange kind of North Pole which is one part the wondrous spirit of Christmas and one part the magic that can only be found in the Twilight Zone.”

It’s the Christmas Eve rush hour in the Big Apple. A line of kiddies are impatiently awaiting a department store’s Santa Claus who, as a sign promises, is due to return at 6 p.m. Unfortunately, said Santa (Corwin) is still drinking his supper at a near-by bar at 6:30 p.m.

Running out of money to pay for his nourishment, Corwin is forced to return to work, but by now, he is so loaded that he keels over while talking to a particularly spoiled brat. When the brat’s mother complains to store manager Dundee (John Fiedler), Corwin is summarily dismissed. As Dundee tries to usher Corwin out of the store pronto, Corwin tells him what drives him to drink.

Corwin: As to my drinking, this is indefensible. And you have my abject apologies. I find of late that I have very little choice in the matter of expressing emotions. I can either drink, or I can weep. And drinking is so much more subtle.

Dundee: Will you please leave?

Corwin: But as to my insubordination, I was not rude to that woman! Someone should remind her that Christmas is more than barging up and down department store aisles and pushing people out of the way!

Dundee: Now, Corwin...

Corwin: Someone has to tell her that Christmas is another thing finer than that. Richer, finer, truer, and should come with patience and love. Charity, compassion. That's what I would have told her if you'd given me a chance. You know another reason why I drink, Mr. Dundee? So that when I walk down the tenements, I can really think it's the North Pole and the children are elves and that I'm really Santa Claus bringing them a bag of wondrous gifts for all of them. I just wish, Mr. Dundee, on one Christmas, only one, that I could see some of the hopeless ones and the dreamless ones, just on one Christmas, I'd like to see the meek inherit the Earth. That's why I drink, Mr. Dundee, and that's why I weep.

As Corwin wanders sadly through the snow-covered streets of Manhattan in his Santa outfit and scraggly fake beard, he takes a short cut through an alley and is surprised when a cat knocks over a large burlap bag full of tin cans piled on trash cans to the ground. When Corwin looks back at the bag, it is now chock full of wrapped Christmas presents.

Delighted to be able to play Santa for real at long last, Corwin starts handing out toys to the neighborhood children. It is then that he discovers this is a most magical bag that will yield up whatever the recipient wishes for. He next drops by a Salvation Army mission and gives gifts to the skid row denizens gathered there. When Sister Florence (Meg Wyllie) asks where Corwin got these goods, he explains about how the bag works, adding, “And as long as it’s puttin’ out, I’m puttin’ in!”

Alas, Sister Florence doesn’t buy Corwin’s explanation and hails Officer Flaherty (Robert P. Lieb) who, since Corwin can’t produce any receipts for the merchandise, promptly arrests him and hauls him down to the station house. Dundee is summoned to the station and, as he berates Corwin, he empties the bag which, once again, contains nothing but tin cans and an alley cat. Corwin proves how the bag has magic powers by asking Dundee to name any gift he can imagine. Dundee asks for a bottle of cherry brandy vintage 1903. Corwin says, “Oh, that’s a good year,” and produces it.

Released from custody, Corwin spends the rest of the evening giving out presents until the bag is finally empty. When Burt (Burt Mustin), one of Corwin’s old friends, asks him what gift he really wants for himself, Corwin answers that his fondest wish is to able to play a real-life Santa Claus every year. On his way home, Corwin takes a short cut through the same alley and can’t help noticing the conspicuous presence of a large sled, a team of reindeers and a little girl (Larrian Gillespie) dressed as an elf…

The Twilight Zone: The Night of the Meek can be viewed for free on-line at the IMDB, Veoh and CBS.com.